The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1 as two teams with the best records in the major leagues came head-to-head.
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St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Carlos Martinez throws against…
The Pittsburgh Pirates had their five-game winning streak stopped Thursday as they lost 4-1 to the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park.
Martinez and Moustakas will be making their first appearances at the event, and it may only be the first of a few to come in the future. The 6-foot, 185-pound southpaw gave up four runs, one of which was earned, on five hits. Yadler Molina added two insurance runs as his line drive single to center brought Peter Bourjos and Matt Carpenter home.
He is one of the five players contending for the NL’s All-Star Final Vote, along with Johnny Cueto, Jeurys Familia, Clayton Kershaw and Troy Tulowitzki. Both hits were off Jeff Locke (5-5).
McCutchen kept the Pirates from being shut out when he hit a 443-foot home run, his 11th of the season, to center field off reliever Seth Maness to lead off the ninth.
Martinez (10-3) scattered four hits in improving to 7-1 with a 1.20 ERA in his last 10 starts for the Cardinals.
Locke was pulled for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the fifth. “This is a good team we’re playing”. That extended his career-best hitting streak to 16 games.
Ian Kinsler hit his 32nd career leadoff homer, a double, and three RBIs to back David Price’s eight innings in his final start before going to the All-Star Game, as Detroit beat Minnesota 4-2. I’m sure the “spirit” of “OT” is with Martinez; but, I feel, he has reached this new plateau on his own merit.
“It’s important the first game of any series”, Molina said. Cardinals’ fans, Carlos Martinez still needs your votes.
Rookie right-hander Cody Anderson pitched three-hit ball into the seventh inning against Houston, his latest splendid performance for Cleveland in a 3-1 win.
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The Pirates will turn to 24-year-old Gerrit Cole (12-3, 2.28 ERA/1.11 WHIP).
